David Byrne returned to the long-running Saturday Night Live for the first time in 31 years this weekend (Feb 29). The Talking Heads singer performed songs from his American Utopia stage show and also reunited with Sack Lunch Bunch castmate John Mulaney for a comical quip about airport sushi.

Byrne opened his SNL musical guest spot with the American Utopia rendition of Talking Heads’ classic “Once in a Lifetime.” watch the singer and his accompanying troupe of musicians inject a serious amount of joy into this performance of the Remain in Light single, originally released in 1980. 

David Byrne | “Once in a Lifetime” [Live on SNL] 

For his second performance, Byrne and company once again drew from their Broadway musical stage show with “Toe Jam,” a Byrne-penned track that was originally released in 2008 via Fatboy Slim’s Brighton Port Authority project.

David Byrne | “Toe Jam” [Live on SNL]

What a triumphant return to the show! According to Rolling Stone, Byrne’s American Utopia musical will also be released as a film, directed by Spike Lee. There has been no release date announced for the film version yet but it’s likely to coincide with the return of the musical to Broadway stages this September.

“Pinch me,” Byrne said in a statement. “This couldn’t have worked out better for this project. Spike Lee directing and Participant producing … two socially engaged teams, well, three, if you count us in the band, coming together in what I feel, will be something moving, important, and unlike anything anyone has seen before.”

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